Armenia Gifts a Khachkar to Bible Museum

Armenia donates a khachkar (cross-stone) to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The khachkar is a replica of one of the sculptures of 14th century Armenian artist, Momik, reports Public Radio of Armenia.

“This wonderful Khachkar carved on tufa stone just arrived from Armenia as a gift from the people of Armenia to the Bible museum of the United States,” said Armenia’s Ambassador to the US Varuzhan Nersisyan.

The khachkar will be a permanent display at the Museum of the Bible, following plans to organize an exhibit called “The Breath of God” dedicated for the Armenian church.

According to UNESCO, craftspeople in Armenia carved khachkars from stone. A khachkar is an outdoor memorial stele, measuring 1.5 meters in height, bearing a cross, usually with additional designs such as rosettes, vegetative- geometric motifs and sometimes with carvings of animals and people.

A khachkar acts as a memorial stone where people communicate with the divine. It serves as an heirloom within the family and it is said that no two khachkars are alike among the more than 50,000 cross-stones in Armenia.

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